Flour.



To'aZZ whom it may concern:

:rE sraau'r CHARLES HERENDEEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

EPIC.

Patented May 1'7, 1910.

iLOUR.

958,496. Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing.

the flour of ordinary manufacture, and

one in the use of which there is a marked resulting economy in the amount of yeast or other leavening medium required to'be'employed therewith, as well as a material saving in the quantity of shortening and sugar necessary in the making of bread,

gastry, or other bakers products made thereom. a

To these ends my improved flour consists of a mixture of a quantity of flour in which the starch cells have been ruptured, with a lar er quantity of flourin which the starch cel s have not been ruptured.

In the production of my fiour I take meal, flour or grits, either coarse or fine, which may be of wheat, corn, rye or other cereals having a high starch content, and place the same in a suitable container into which steam is injected fora sufiicient eriod, conditioned upon the quantity of t e mass to betreated, to open up and disrupt the starch cells therein and moisten the mass. The material is subjected to the action of'the steam but for a limited period, to avoid cooking, which period'I have found need not exceed thirty seconds of time. The material then treated is passed between cold rolls which serve to compress the mass and which, after passin through such rolls, breaks up into light fia partlcles, and WhlCh, in their passage from these rolls, become sufficiently dry by exposure to the atmosphere or, if it be found necessary, can be run through con-.

tainers in which they may be subjected to a blast of air. These flakes in their dry condition are then passed between reducing rolls and ground into flour of any desired fineness. The resulting product is then combined in proportioned degree with ordinary wheat, graham, rye, or other flour prepared in the ordinary manner, and in the propor- Application filed February 14, 1910. Serial No. 543,652.

tions of about from five to twenty-five pounds of my flour to one hundred pounds of flour prepared in the ordinary manner.

Another method which I may employ in producing my improved flour consists of the taking of flour, either coarse or fine, preferably however a flour prepared from white corn as containing a hlgh percentage of starch, and the adding thereto-of a su cient amount of water to form a paste. This paste is then passed between hot rolls which roll it out into a very' thin sheet and the action of 'the heat thereon causes the moisture which has been absorbed by the starch cells to burst the same. from the rolls in addition to causing the disruption of the starch cells causes the evaporation of the moisture from the paste alrlld it passes from the rolls in dry flakes or s eets.,

The heat The flakes or sheets produced by the above 7 steps are then ground into flour, being preferably. passed through what is ordinarily termed the full roller process. The flour thus produced is then combined with flour of ordinary manufacture and in the proportions hereinbefore set forth. I prefer,

however, to use the. first method described herein, or what I term the cold roll method of producing my improved flour, same being more economical.

I have found that the result of this mixture produces a product havin high moisture absorbing properties an one from which bread, cakes, pastry, or other bakers products may be made which will be more palatable and nourishing as food and which will retain their freshness for a longer period. I have also found that with this mixture a larger proportion of the products can be produced from a given quantity thereof than is possible from flour prepared in the ordinary manner alone.

The flour produced by either of the herein recited methods does not differ in consistency ora pearance from the flour prepared in the ordinary way, the sole difference being in the structure of the starch cells wh1ch have been disrupted and which therefore are I claim as new and desire to secure by Letflour in which the starch cells have been ters Patent is: ruptured, with a quantity of flour in which 1. As a new article of manufacture, a the starch cells have not been ruptured, in flour, comprising a mixture of a quantity of substantially the proportions set forth. 5 flour in which the starch cells have been In testimony whereof I affix my signature 15 ruptured, with a larger quantity of flour in in presence of two witnesses.

which the starch cells have not been rup- CHARLES HERENDEEN. tured. Y Witnesses 2. As a new article of manufacture, a Y L; PANKHURs'r,

10 flour, comprising a mixture ofa quantity of MABEL PAULSEN. 

